Archive for January 15th, 2007

Ah, Monday. Back to the having to plan to read routine rather having many opportunities for Reid to wander by the bookshelf or notice the pile of library books and pick something up. Before supper we read Snoozers: 7 Short Short Bedtime Stories for Lively Little Kids by Sandra Boynton. Reid isn’t particular about only reading bedtime stories at bedtime. This one is pretty lively and maybe too rowdy for bedtime anyway. I really like the story “I’m Not Tired” about a little bear who keeps saying that he isn’t tired even as he falls asleep while hiding under a rug. We also read Mischievous Angels: A mini pop-up storybook (no author).

At bedtime I told Reid that I’d read three books and she countered with “six”. The pile of books in Reid’s room is dwindling but not her pickiness and so we read:

My room (no author), a little board book with a very few words but pictures worth discussing;

Bear Hunt by Anthony Browne, a book we got at a book sale. It is a bit strange in that there are hunters with a gun after the little bear. He uses his pencil to get himself safely away, though; and

A Dragon in a Wagon: A book about ways to travel by Jane Belk Moncure, a book that we received as the free preview book from some company that I promptly refused membership in. Grandma Joyce has the same book and I bet she got it from a yard sale from someone who did the same thing I did.

Reid didn’t sleep well Saturday night and so was particularly ready for listening to books on Sunday. Unfortunately, I was too tired to take note of reactions. We read:

Soft Shapes: Seasons by AnnMarie McLaughlin, a book that I think Ken will be glad to see fall from favour. Reid likes to take out the shape from each of the season pages and doesn’t mind the paucity of words;

Count! by Denise Fleming;

Opposites: A teaching train book (no author);

Hushabye Lily by Claire Freedman;

What a Scare, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Carlstrom, nice enough but not as good as Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?

Emily’s Balloon by Komako Sakai;

Maisy at the Fair by Lucy Cousins;

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom;

Pocoyo and Friends: A first book of friendship (no author);

Wheelies Trusty Tractor, illustrated by Julia Oliver;

Baby-O by Nancy White Carlstrom, which is set in the West Indies and didn’t seem to really engage Ken and Reid; and

The longer it is between when we read a book and when I write about it, the less I have to say. This might be more list and less insight but it was a rough weekend. Still, we read:

Baby MacDonald on the Farm, a Baby Einstien book that used to be a favourite for its touch-and-feel features but we haven’t read it lately. I’m not sure if that was intentional;

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and Reid needs to carefully examine and discuss all of the food that the caterpillar eats on Saturday;

Mickey’s Week (no author);

Mealtime for Zoo Animals by Caroline Arnold. I’ve realized that it’s been a while since we read non-fiction;

But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton, what can I say, she is an addiction;

Caillou Says No! by Joceline Sanschagrin, a book that tells what is like to live with a toddler who says, “no” even when they want to say “yes”;

Alpha Opps! The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis, the illustrations are birght and the text is interesting for Reid but she will like it even more when she understands how the letters are supposed to appear. I would buy it if I saw it;

Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox; the author writes about teaching and raising kids who love to read as well;

Duck on a Bike, a book that features a spunky duck who doesn’t conform to expectations;

Snow Sounds: An Onomatopeoic Story by David A. Johnson, which depicts beautiful early morning scenes after a snow with just a few sounds to complement them; and

This Little Piggy Played the Fiddle by Susan James Frye, a take-off on the toe rhyme that introduces some instruments and then rolling on the floor (a theme in this session of Kindermusik, I think).

and at bedtime:

Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin, another from the author of Click, Clack, Moo but funny in it’s own right;

Which Way to School, one of the Read and Roll books that store in a little schoolbox shaped case; and

Moo Cow Book by Sandra Boynton; who can resist a soft book shaped like a cow’s head that involves licking the child with the cow’s tongue?

Reid had a rotten night’s sleep Saturday night. I think she was experiencing a “grumbly tumbly” as Winnie the Pooh might say, though his is only ever “rumbly”, meaning hungry. Poor girl had many bad dreams, was awake enough to be aware she needed to use the bathroom (usually I can soothe her back to sleep faster) and out and out cried at one point (almost never happens). At 5:30, she declared it to be “no sleeping time” and got up to use the bathroom, for the third time. We went downstairs and watched a couple shows from the PVR and played with Potato Heads. At 7:30, Reid decided it was time to sleep. I thought it might kill my afternoon nap but was too tied to put up a fight. I closed my eyes at 8:00 and opened them again at 9:30. Reid slept until 10:00. Ken wandered down about then as well. Quite an unusual morning in our house. After lunch, Reid wanted to nurse and so I told her that we’d have to go up to her room but not expecting her to nap. Two and a half hours later, I woke Reid when I coughed too hard for too long. Boy, that was a pleasant surprise. Less so maybe for Melissa and Ben who were waiting for us to meet them at Chapters. Melissa said that they read many, many books. Reid and I went to have tea and treats at Starbucks and then got groceries, including a deli chicken and fries for supper. After eating and trying more Potato Head combination, it was bedtime again. Yep, she went to sleep again without fuss and so did I. I decided to go straight to sleep in my own bed just in case and was unfortunately proven right. I’ve decided that she is experiencing growing pains since I read about another kid with them on a blog.

We went to an open swim on New Year’s Eve day, Reid and I were in the pool and Ken watched from the deck. Reid loves it when Ken comes to watch and often checks to see that he is looking and waves to him lots. I think I may have told you already but I will repeat myself: Reid has decided that riding on and holding onto the big square floater boards is lots of fun. She was pushing the board all around the shallow part (a long slow slope like a beach) and even take it out enough that she had to kick instead of walk behind it. Her confidence is definitely growing.

We played for a bit in the tot pool where the slide and water mushrooms are. When I said that it was time to go, Reid decided that she needed to swim in the hot pool. It’s an oval that is close to the size of an ordinary above-ground pool (or maybe no where close, given my spatial abilities) and has a bench all around the sides. Reid was standing on the bench and then stepping off and towards me. She said, without prompting, “Ready … Set … Go, ” and stepped in. Too cool that she learned this without us. We did this many times over and even had Daddy right at the edge to see and hear. He encouraged me to back up little by little until Reid was swimming unsupported by herself a bit. Reid seems to feel more in control in the hot pool and will get closer to actually swimming. I can understand the whole contol issue, at least a little bit ;+)

Saturday was the first day of Kindermusik this term. There were quite a few new people and so during our hello song, Shannon had us introduce ourselves as well as our kids. This was a first. Turns out Maddie’s father, who we’ve seen weekly since September 2005, is named Peter. I tried hard to focus on the other adults’ names but only managed to catch two others – both of kids whose names I already knew. So, three down and nine to go. I doubt I’ll make any progress. Names aren’t my strong suit and introducing myself to people is even less so. Still, it was nice to hear that these other folks have names other than “Maddie’s dad”, etc. All of the Dale Carnegie success story-types will know my name and I’ll just fake it. The title of this class is “Fiddle-dee-dee”, the carrier is a a cardboard dog house, which Reid is enamoured of but won’t last long if we actually use it as a carrier, and her instrument is fiddle sticks. Fiddle sticks are a cross between shakers and rhythm sticks and so they make good noise. We sang a song that requires the kids drop to the ground and roll over like dogs at a few points and a blues version of “This old man”. It is starting off as another fun session. Reid was pretty relaxed, which is nice, as she sometimes finds new people a little challenging and the class has about 10 kids plus parents.

On Sunday Reid and I went to the grocery store and parked next to the cart hut. As we left the car, Reid pointed out some flyer pages on the ground and I dismissed them with a “someone will pick them up” and started away. Then, I thought of the less-than-diligent folks who come for the carts (whose job it probably is to pick them up) and the fact that Reid and I have many years ahead of us living in the accumulated mess, and went back and had her help me pick up the pages. It took such little time. I’m ashamed that I almost walked away from it but proud that Reid knew that picking them up was *our* job, not “someones”.

I learned a little lesson, maybe taught one and Reid and I showed that we love our Mother (Earth).